Scions of the Scarred South
Channel Divinity: Tymora’s Luck
By Erik Scott de Bie & Matt Sernet
from Dragon #388
History and Alliances
Tymora is half of the original goddess of luck, Tyche (TI-kee), who fell victim to a legendary event called the Dawn Cataclysm. It was triggered by her once lover, Lathander the Morninglord, god of the dawn and new creation, who was a younger incarnation of Amaunator. Lathander sought to redesign the Realms pantheon in his own image, including Tyche. In her boldness, Tyche plucked a particular flower she believed to have been created by Lathander for precisely this purpose and thrust it into her hair. In truth, the flower was an avatar of Moander, then god of rot and corruption. It quickly insinuated itself into the goddess of fortune, twisting her to horrible evil. When the full extent of Moander’s damage was revealed, the goddess Selûne struck Tyche with a bolt of divine light, thereby fracturing her essence. Tyche split into two goddesses, Tymora and Beshaba. The twin goddesses have battled each other ever since. Tymora is nearly as notorious as Sune (the winsome goddess of love) for her antics over the centuries, though she is notably more adventurous and less serious than any of her fellow deities. She has been linked romantically and dogmatically to numerous deities, though in every event Tymora has viewed such liaisons as mere game and jest rather than serious alliance. Most of the Good and unaligned deities of the pantheon view her activities with appreciation, because she brings an important light side to the darkening Realms. Tymora remains jovial even when making war against her dark sister, preferring mischief and ironic justice to open violence.
More than any other deity, Tymora is likely to chart the course of adventurers, even those from humble beginnings. She has been known to bless up-andcoming heroes by tweaking fate ever so slightly here and there to allow them to gain the sort of power they need for a great destiny. Such heroes inevitably incur the lasting wrath of Beshaba and her priesthood.
Tymorans are born with a love of testing their luck (some call it a death wish). They take ridiculous risks, which they see as an opportunity to prove their love and trust in the goddess. This is not to suggest that they are foolish or suicidal, only that given the choice between a practical, tried-and-true solution and a glorious charge with a much slimmer margin for error, the choice is obvious.
This philosophy particularly applies to the so-called Testers, a radical band of Tymoran priests and priestesses who are notorious for taking ridiculous risks in the name of spreading the glory of their goddess. (Fellow Tymorans are always on hand to heal or raise members of this band of maniacs.) Many priests of Tymora travel far and wide, ministering to the hurt and protecting the helpless. In their spare time, they adventure for the coin and the thrill of danger. They counsel the seemingly unlucky in love, business, or governance, trying to help others see the spark of luck in themselves. Some take such counsel to the next level and offer not just advice but commands, so as to determine the day-to-day affairs of everyone they can.
Such manipulative Tymorans belong to a sect of the heretical faith called the Fatemakers, which espouses two core philosophies: that all luck deities are one and the same (so you’ll have priests of Tymora, Beshaba, Erevan, and so on, all comingtogether to serve a common goal) and that mortals can influence fate/luck in the same way as the gods—and given enough power, can become their own gods. Mainstream Tymorans despise the Fatemakers, suspecting (rightly) that many of them are corrupt and secret adherents to Beshaba.
Heroes sworn to Tymora come in all races and classes, but they share two important traits in
common: They rely more on their wits than their brawn, and peril finds them with uncanny accuracy. Humans and halflings are the most common adherents of the faith, but Tymorans have a well-deserved reputation for welcoming the most exotic races and strangest backgrounds. Tymoran adventurers are well received in most communities but are expected to leave in short order, taking their troublesome reputations with them.
These backgrounds are particularly appropriate to servants of Tymora, or they can be adapted to match any luck deity.
Two Sides of the Coin: You are a twin, yet yours was not a normal birth; you were brought into the world beneath an alignment of stars not seen since before the Spellplague. The first born arrived in the world bright, laughing, and smiling only moments after birth. The second twin came later—an unexpected arrival after birthing was thought finished. This twin looked coldly upon the world with dark eyes and silence. Since then, you and your twin have been
opposites, each one a different side of the same coin. Is one twin good and the other evil? How were you and your twin treated differently as you grew up? Were you brought up together or separated? Can the twins be judged by appearances or is the truth that the first born hides the darkness that the second born shows? Which twin were you? Do both your parents still live? Was your strange birth prophesied or an accident of coincidence? Do you know where your twin is now?
Associated Skills: Bluff, Insight
Lucky Child: You were born when, by all rights, such a birth should have been impossible, making you either a blessing or a curse for your surprised parents. Since a young age, you have been told that you owe your existence to the forces of luck, and you have developed a keen understanding of how chance conspires to influence reality. Perhaps your parents were old, or maybe you were born despite a hex against your bloodline. Perhaps a prophecy predicted your death but, unlike all the others, you survived. Why was your birth such a quirk of fate? Is there a purpose to your birth, or do you seem to beat the odds wherever you go? Has your origin led you to question the odds, or do you fear you’ve used up all your luck just by being born?
Associated Skills: Insight, Religion